Job hunting for the international student

So, I’m turning 25 this year and in my final year of Bachelors of Business study. Soon, I will be extending my visa to continue with my MPA and MBA. I am an international student and have been in Melbourne since 2009.

A couple of years ago, I applied for an office job. To my surprise, they replied. To my disappointment, however, I was rejected because I was a student and thus, could not commit to a full-time job. Meh! Nothing new. Today, I took a deep breath and decided to apply to other office jobs again. Apparently, rejection is now natural.

I have sent thousands of applications online and in person, whether it be office work or hospitality. I have not heard from 98% of those ads and I wish I was exaggerating but I’m not. Gumtree is flooded with thousands of employers wanting experienced and qualified staffs; yet no one seems to respond. I understand that a huge volume of responses can be excruciatingly painful for the advertisers. It is like there is this huge invisible wall between employers and employees; the former doesn’t seem to be getting a good candidate and the latter can’t seem to be getting a good job.

The remaining 2% that did reply, 1.8% rejected me. Their claim was that either I was inexperienced or I was a student, and they needed a full-time worker. I would love to work full-time but perhaps they could request the immigration to allow me to do so. I have 5 years hospitality experience but no experience in an office environment.

Where am I to get experience when nobody wants to give me a chance? And you know what I hate the most? When people say they want experienced staff and yet they will take the time to train you again – only for you to adjust to their culture.

This is not an issue for me at all, I mean I understand every company have their own policies. But I’m frustrated when I’ve done the same job for 3 years and another guy who has worked for 3 months in that company (where I’m the new person) is training me. What good is my experience then?

I love Australia and I have become accustomed to Melbourne and what it has to offer. The people are a bit drunk on the weekends, but most other days, they are nice and friendly. I mean, have you been to Commonwealth Bank? Their customer service is commendable (although I can’t say much for their interest rates pfft)! Anywho, I just get a bit apprehensive when it comes to hunting for jobs.

Bottom line: education is expensive but they say a degree is a necessity these days. Then when you have a degree, they’ll say that without experience, you’re as good as knife without a fork (if you will). Then say you have both the degree and experience, they will train you anyway. Therefore, my conclusion is that a degree and experience equates to a friend who can guarantee you an interview. My advice, choose the latter; it’s cheaper, faster and hassle-free.

“What if the cure for cancer is trapped inside the mind of someone who can’t afford an education?”– Unknown